Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Thoughts on the 2013 Mock Newbery and Caldecott

Usually I do a Slice of Life post on Tuesdays, but I'm not sure this one qualifies as a Slice; so I'll just make it a regular post. My Mock Newbery Club meets this afternoon for our last gathering of 2013. The kids will look through their Mock Newbery booklets to refresh their memories of books read throughout the year. Some of them were read aloud by me, some as small group books for class, and some on their own since they were trying to read as many new books as possible. I'm so excited to see what they choose as their picks for the Newbery 2014! Reading for and choosing a possible Newbery winner has definitely been a fun part of my life the last couple years.

I've looked over my Goodreads list, and I have a top three I want to talk about with my club. I haven't picked a favorite out those three yet. I think I may even reread them. I've considered "kid appeal," personal preference, as well as the characteristics of a Newbery winner. This is SO difficult because there were a lot of wonderful books this year. Here they are:

I also have to "cheat" on picking the top three because I'm going to pick a nonfiction book I think has a strong chance of winning a sticker:

Other titles I think have strong possibilities are Center of Everything by Linda Urban, Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool, Paperboy by Vince Vawter, and The Real Boy by Anne Ursu. Maybe I'll even reread those. I'm reading The Real Boy aloud to my class right now. I'll write a future blog post about what my students choose to win. Meanwhile, make sure you choose your favorites by voting on The 2013 Nerdies!

By the way, it is no secret that my favorite for the 2014 Caldecott is Journey by Aaron Becker. I really, really, really want it to win!

"One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world." - Malala Yousafzai

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." - Albert Einstein

"It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. " - E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

"We read to know we are not alone." - C.S. Lewis

"Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns." - Anne Lamott

"The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you'd thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you've never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it's as if a hand has come out, and taken yours." - The History Boys

"We're only in control of two things: how we prepare for what might happen, and how we respond to what just happened. The moment when things actually do happen, belongs to God." - DeVon Franklin